The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-08-11
Carlyle's Ghost.

Seldom can there be seen in any de-
cent street in a London suburb house
SO dingy, dilapidated and squalid look
ing as this. All the lower window
panes have been shattered (by stone
throwing apparently and the broken
glass is lying on the dirty sills and ON
the rubbish heaps in the damp area of
the basement. A house agents board,
half thrown down, bore a torn printed
paper announcement, ''This House to
Lett" the shutters of the rooms were
closed and all very dirty; the brick
work was discufUrca with rain, and
getting loose and broken; the whole
aspect of the house was as if ID had
been deserted for half century.
think there is sufficient matter for
the growth of myth or traditionary
ghost story concerning Carlyle, in the
following incident which took place on
the evening of this same day in May,
1t was getting dark, and lady who
lives in Cheyne row was coming home.
As she passed No. 8 she saw group
of children and young girls standing
before it in the roadway, looking up
at the house and speaking in eager
whispers. She knew one of the girls
what they were looking at. The girl
replied with hesitation
''Oh! ma a'am, we are waiting to see
the ghost"
''1ndeed! Where is there a ghost?"
The other girls came close to her,
and they pointed and nodded their
heads gravely at the empty house of
the Carlyles.
Have any of you seen this ghost?"
asked the lady, with much interest in
the matter.
"No, ma'am. We haven't seen it,
but my sister Polly was told that Mrs.
| Smith at the shop saw it.
'sWho told Po1lyp" asked the lady.
'.Aunt Eliza, or leastways, some
body that heard it from Aunt Eliza. :"
s'Oh! Then 1t was Mrs. Smith who
saw the ghost?"
80 yes. Mrs. Smith last Friday
evening"
What was the ghost like?"
Then the girls all whispered at once,
''It was tail old man with white hair,
and he was wrapped in a great white
| sheet"
| Then they all looked with curious,
! eager timidity, up at the broken win
dows of the ground floor.
/ ssDid Mrs. Smith see him there,
with the shutter closed like that?"
asked the lady.
There was pause, and then one of
the girls said:
'ENoi The shutter must have been
open, and the window, too"
| 'How do you know thatP" inquired
the lady.
ssOhI Because Aunt Eliza said he
beckoned to Mrs. Smith, and she was
in great fright; but she had to stop
because he spoke to her"
He spoke to her? Do you know
what he ssid?"
80 yes, he spoke in a strange. faint
sort of voice, and said; Bring me
two penn'o orth of tobacco.
The lady did not laugh, but she
tried to dispef the superstitious ideas
of the girls by saying:
/ Don't you think it likely to have
been old Barnes, the painter, in his
white coat and apronP He may have
been sent into the house by the owner
to do some job there, and he can't get
ON with his work unless he smokes,
4 you knowp"
j They did know; but they did not
seem willing to adopt her common
place view of the matter, and she left
them still looking at the broken win
dows expecting to see the ghost.
A ghost that calls for s.two penn
orth of tobacco" in the empty house
No. Cheyne rowi A more appro-
pirate burlesque could not have been
invented by the cleverest of our many
writers who devote their talents tc
making men and things ridiculous
have felt the humor of it and enjoyed
it immsnsely.-London Globe.